South African composer Lebohang “Lebo M” Morake has been ordered to pay Sh5.1 million ($39,560) in legal costs after losing a lawsuit against Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi over a joke about The Lion King.
A California federal court ordered Morake to cover the legal fees incurred by Jonasi’s two defence attorneys after US District Judge Josephine Staton dismissed the case and granted the comedian’s anti-SLAPP motion.
The legal battle stemmed from comments Jonasi made during an appearance on the One54 Africa podcast, where he joked about the meaning of the iconic opening chant in “Circle of Life”, a song from Disney’s 1994 animated film The Lion King.
Jonasi offered a humorous interpretation of the chant, telling the host that it simply meant, “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my God.”
A clip of the exchange later went viral on social media, attracting millions of views and drawing Morake’s attention.
Morake subsequently filed a lawsuit against Jonasi in a California federal court, accusing the comedian of defamation and intentional wrongdoing. He argued that Jonasi’s comments misrepresented the meaning of the chant and wrongfully exploited his work.
However, Judge Staton ruled in Jonasi’s favour, finding that the comedian’s comments were protected speech under California’s anti-SLAPP law.
The legislation is intended to protect constitutionally protected speech and public participation from lawsuits aimed at restricting such expression.
The ruling brings to an end Morake’s legal challenge over Jonasi’s viral joke, while leaving the veteran composer with a Sh5.1 million legal bill.